Handrearing Question

myshelby · Post by **myshelby** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:07 am

I have just pulled 3 of my babies ( this is my first time handrearing IRNs) I pulled them at 6.30pm as I have been watching for the last few days and the parent usually fed around this time. The babies are 16 days old and had very full crops. I put them straight into the brooding box and are wondering when I should begin their first fed??? Not sure if I should try to feed them every few hours or wait until their crops are empty. My cockatiels didn't eat for 14 hrs when I first pulled them wondering if IRNs are the same????? Do you need to force them to start with or just wait until they accept it??? Any help appreciated

nil · Post by **nil** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:30 am

you can find useful thinks in this topic http://www.indianringneck.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=799
and also a video
http://www.kaytee.com/companion_animals ... d_feeding/

pinkdevil · Post by **pinkdevil** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:39 am

I usually pull mine late in the evening and put them into the brooder over night.
Then early next morning, (between 5-6am) I offer a feed, (usually the crop is empty by then). The crop should be empty before offering a first feed. Sometimes it takes a few goes before they will accept being hand fed. If they don't accept a feed, I try again and hour or 2 later. I don't like to leave it too long without a feed.
Once they have taken to the formula, feed aprox every 4 hrs, finishing at around 10pm (this is a guide), and let the crop empty at least once during a 24 hr period.
I found IRNs tend to be fussier then lorikeets to start and hand feed.

How are you handfeeding them? Spoon, syringe or cropfeeding?

If using spoon or syringe, sometimes, (not always) you may need to gently pry open the chicks beak slightly so they can get the taste of the formula.

I prefer spoon.

Let us know how you go.

Good luck with raising them

myshelby · Post by **myshelby** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 3:07 am

Thanks for that, I have just checked on them and they look happy and ugly lol. I am using a syringe as we are very limited to bird products in Rotorua I even have to get the formular in from another city as our pet shops don't sell it. I have seen the proper hand feeding spoons for sale on some websites but they wouldn't ship to nz. So I am going to use a syringe. The parent birds are on a seed/ fruit /vege diet and have been having biscuit/egg conditioning food ( all I could get at the time) So is it alright to put my babies straight onto Kaytees or will I need to mix with the conditioning food they were being feed from parents?

pinkdevil · Post by **pinkdevil** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 2:27 pm

You can go straight to handraising formula.

Down the track as they start to become fussy at eating, you could try mixing a small amount of puréed fruit or veg in with the mixture to encourage them to eat.

If you can not get the feeding spoons where you are, just buy a teaspoon and bend the sides up to form a channel for the food to flow in. Fold it in closer at the tip, so the shape resembles the feeding spoons. Thats what my first feeding spoon was until I bought the feeding spoons with the syringe attachment.

Sooooooo....you got any pics of these little sweeties??